Loewenson, Louis Jack (L J)

Killed in action, Lancaster III JB549, Took off at 23.39 hrs from R.A.F. Grimsby, Lincolnshire to attack the heart of Germany, Berlin. The second night that the allies chose this target. Together with 383 aircraft, 362 Lancasters, 12 Mosquitoes and 9 Halifaxes. The German controllers were following the stream all the way to the capital - they realised the target about 40 minutes prior to the bombing taking place. Night fighters were sent to intercept between Hannover and Bremen, but they missed them and they were then redirected to Berlin. Most of the allied bombers were shot down over the German capital with 27 aircraft being lost. The raid was largely ineffective though with bombing scattered over a large area. Reports from Berlin list 82 buildings (residential) were destroyed and 36 people on the ground killed. The damage to the industrial areas was classed as insignificant. This Lancaster is listed as missing without trace and no details can be found to claim this as being shot down, but such was the ferocity of the night - very few claims were positively identified to the German night fighters